Colorado Lawmakers Receive Ash Wednesday Blessings at State Capitol

Annual event helps legislators find spiritual reflection during legislative session

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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On Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season, lawmakers in the Colorado State Capitol gathered to receive blessings and have ashes placed on their foreheads by a Catholic priest. The event, now in its third year, is meant to provide a moment of spiritual reflection for legislators during the busy legislative session.

Why it matters

The Ash Wednesday event at the Colorado State Capitol is a unique way for lawmakers to pause and find spiritual grounding amidst the often divisive nature of politics. By coming together across party lines for a religious observance, the legislators are able to connect on a more personal level and remember the larger purpose of public service.

The details

Father Michael Bodzioch, an associate of the Colorado Catholic Conference, administered the ashes and blessings to any interested lawmakers. The ashes are meant to symbolize the temporary nature of human life and the inevitability of physical death, reminding the legislators of their mortality and the need for spiritual reflection.

  • Ash Wednesday marks the start of the 40-day Lenten period leading up to Easter.
  • This is the third year the Ash Wednesday event has been held at the Colorado State Capitol.

The players

Nathan Fisher

Associate Director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, which organizes the annual Ash Wednesday event at the state capitol.

Father Michael Bodzioch

Catholic priest who administered the ashes and blessings to lawmakers at the state capitol.

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What they’re saying

“It's a good way to do something a little different here. Sometimes in this building, they spend lots of time fighting about things. It's time for us to come together for a bigger purpose and see each other in a different light. A great way to start your day and start your week.”

— Nathan Fisher, Associate Director, Colorado Catholic Conference (CBS News Colorado)

What’s next

The Lenten period will continue for 46 more days until the arrival of Easter.

The takeaway

The annual Ash Wednesday event at the Colorado State Capitol provides lawmakers with an opportunity to pause, reflect, and connect on a spiritual level, reminding them of their shared humanity and the higher purpose of public service beyond partisan divides.